Treatment expectations seem to affect bowel health when using acupuncture during radiotherapy for cancer: Secondary outcomes from a clinical randomized sham-controlled trial.

CONCLUSION: Penetrating acupuncture was not effective for frequent stools or for infrequent stools and did not improve capacity in daily activities or QoL in patients undergoing pelvic-abdominal irradiation for cancer more than non-penetrating acupuncture. Since patients with low acupuncture treatment expectations were more likely to experience frequent stools compared to other patients, non-specific treatment effects warrant further studies. PMID: 32951698 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Complementary Therapies in Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Tags: Complement Ther Med Source Type: research